The rigours of modern red tape

Since becoming involved with the charity I am constantly amazed at how we have allowed our lives to become so complicated. As someone who works for a Government agency I perhaps should know better, but instead have become a little blase about paperwork.

My experiences thus far have found that each step is like turning a corner to find a door, which is locked and the key is invariably hanging amongst a dozen other almost identical keys. Then when you finally find the right one, it opens but someone has left the chain on the inside!

It isn't just the machines or government that cause me angst. Banks have also driven me to distraction. It took us almost six weeks to get our business account set up. Again it seemed that every step involved a new obstacle to complete. Now we have PayPal. Oh PayPal, what a resource you are but how you have driven me mad these last few days. Admittedly it isn't entirely their fault. We rushed with glee in creating our "charity" account in June and then forgot about it. Now we want to use it (because there is money in there) we find we cannot because we have supplied tax exempt confirmation. Not only can we now not get our money, but no one can donate to us through PayPal either. And of course, we're not yet "official" as a charity until the Charity Commission say yes. Que numerous e-mails, uploaded documents and confusion. Finally PayPal agreed to release the block on donations into the account, but we still cannot withdraw until we prove who we are. It wouldn't be so bad if the system of proving the evidence was not so fiddly. I cannot just pop into a branch, or ring banking number. They have their own way and it drives me crazy. Still, just another locked door around the corner. I've found the key, but guess what, someone has left the chain on.